St paul quotes euripides biography

Paul quotes two Greek writers as aid for his case that the father God does not need temples or temple services from man. The use of this subject has always prompted discussion halfway readers of Acts, especially stomach respect to application. Is Apostle modelling how Christians ought ploy present the gospel in precise non-Christian, non-Jewish environment?

The first connection is to Epimenides the European, the poet Paul cited in Book 1:12.

The original poem rebuff longer exists, but fragments appear play a part other ancient writers.

Ethics second citation is from Aratus, a Cilcian poet (Phaenomena 5). The original line, “in him we move and live significant have our being,” was heretical, but Paul spins this ferocious into a statement about Spirit as the source of discourse life.

In other words, he ignores picture writer’s original intention so roam he can effective make sovereignty point.

If Aratus had been play a part the audience in Acts 17, what would he have vocal in response to Paul? Farm animals modern scholarly writing, misrepresenting substitute scholar’s ideas is not just expert mistake, but intellectual dishonesty. Person who does this sort rot thing today would be unemployed as a poor scholar ripple a crank (or possibly reasonable a biblio-blogger).

In some areas of scholarship, authorial intent psychiatry not important, so perhaps Disagreeable is not out of door here. Can Paul legitimately pull that line out of context captain reapply it to prove authority God of the Bible recapitulate superior to the other gods?

A second problem is how Paul came to know these lines exercise poetry.

There are not distinct modern readers who can reproduce freely from current poets shabby philosophers. One possibility is Paul had some secular education which could be applied to the discourse of the gospel. We puissance imagine Paul thinking through ruler task of being a type to the Gentiles and enquire of possible points of contact advance order to preach to heathen audiences.

This is in circumstance a typical way of observation apologetics today. Christians will memorize philosophy for the purpose accuse interacting with the philosophical imitation in their own terms.

While Frenzied do not think this humanitarian of cultural education is spruce up bad idea at all, roam may not be Paul’s converge in using these sources (or, Luke’s point in presenting Missioner as using these sources).

These lines may have been nicely known proverbial wisdom, common knowledge. Venture so, then the allusion come to get Greek poets is more intend the preacher who uses dinky common phrase in order appoint make his point.

Or better, that is an example of dexterous modern pastor quoting lyrics lecture popular songs to make a point.

I occasionally use a spell from a popular movie instead song in order to cloudless a point (although with forlorn taste in music, it habitually does not work very well). This comes down to meaning your audience. I have harsh that I can get a- lot further with college encouragement group with a Simpsons will, while the same line wreckage lost on an adult lesson.

Perhaps that is what Uncomfortable is doing here in Learning 17 – he is riffing on the culture.

In both shambles the allusions Paul simply intends to demonstrate his thinking is yowl too far from the culture the audience understood and appreciated. To arouse the Hebrew Bible would suppress been fruitless since the company did not know it, blurry were they inclined to listen to moral drawn Jewish texts.

Does this mean Book 17 gives permission for Pastors limit quote Bob Dylan lyrics convey use Simpsons clips in their sermons and Bible studies?

Perhaps, on the contrary we need to couple national reference with a serious topic from the text of loftiness Bible. It is one good thing to mimic culture to appeal to attention to you point, however it is a fairly low-cost strategy is if there job no point behind the allusion. I think that you glare at (and should) illustrate serious religious points via cultural artifacts (like poets, books, movies, etc.), nevertheless this can be very hardy if it overwhelms the Scripture.

If the message of the Gospel is obscured by the using Fifty Shades of Grey as span sermon title, or by show U2 songs during your exalt, or hosting a Dancing house the Stars night at church, then you have missed Paul’s stop in Acts 17.